Beyond Obesity and Lymphedema: Recognizing Lipedema in Canadian Primary Care

This simulated continuing medical education (CME) package demonstrates my CME content development practice, from literature review through slide deck to activity documentation.

The subject is the recognition of lipedema in Canadian primary care.

The topic was selected based on a documented and specific practice gap: lipedema affects an estimated 10 to 11 percent of adult females globally, is frequently misdiagnosed as obesity or lymphedema, and has no Canadian-specific diagnostic guidance or referral pathway as of April 2026.

The package consists of three components.

1. The working literature review covers clinical definition and staging, pathophysiology, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, psychosocial impact, management options, evidence gaps, and a practice gap and educational needs assessment across 14 sources.

2. The slide deck is a complete enduring material built to accredited CME standards, including faculty disclosure, learning objectives, four content sections, a case-based exercise, and a references slide.

3. The activity documentation includes an accreditation-style activity description with practice gap statement and a faculty disclosure page.